1. Field
Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for reducing signaling spikes due to smartphones when moving between a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) to a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) WLAN coverage areas, thereby providing consistent service in a wireless communication system.
2. Background
Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various communication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, broadcasts, and so on. Such networks, which are usually multiple access networks, support communications for multiple users by sharing the available network resources. One example of such a network is the UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN). The UTRAN is the radio access network (RAN) defined as a part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), a third generation (3G) mobile phone technology supported by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The UMTS, which is the successor to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technologies, currently supports various air interface standards, such as Wideband-Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA), Time Division-Code Division Multiple Access (TD-CDMA), and Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA). The UMTS also supports enhanced 3G data communications protocols, such as High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), which provides higher data transfer speeds and capacity to associated UMTS networks.
There is a possibility for UMTS/General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) networks to experience signaling spikes during rush hour when people in public transport leave or arrive in transit stations, aspects of this apparatus and method include improving signaling response of a UMTS/GPRS network. The signaling spikes occur since all smart phones will connect to the WLAN when a vehicles arrives in transit station. Due to this issue, UMTS/GPRS networks experiences severe signaling to their core network, which must be addressed
Thus, aspects of this apparatus and method include reducing signaling spikes due to smartphones when moving between WLAN and WWAN coverage areas, thereby providing consistent service in a wireless communication system.